In the Mourning
by Chiara Waters
Summary: Annie meets Mitchell just after she & Owen move to Bristol. Mitchell's just moved in with George and given up blood. Both Mitchell & Annie have a feeling about the other. Can Mitchell save Annie from her ghost fate?
1. Chapter 1

Annie stepped out of the pink building. The building she and Owen had bought together. She couldn't believe she was this far away from her family. When Owen had proposed to her and she had accepted she had never thought that she would move far away from her family. As soon as she and Owen had gotten to the pink building though, her fears ran away. She left them all behind her. She was in Bristol and she was with the man she loved and they were going to live happily-ever-after together in this beautiful pink house. She smiled to herself whenever she saw it. Two weeks and they still hadn't really unpacked that many boxes, but the thing was, the one thing that she didn't like about this beautiful pink house was that it didn't have a washer. She would eventually convince Owen to put in a washing machine so that she didn't have to travel downtown Bristol to do a few loads of laundry. She looked up at the sky and slid her sunglasses on down from her head to her nose. The sun was unusually bright today, but she wasn't complaining. She liked when the sun came out, it made her remember why she loved her life. Sun always made her life just a bit brighter.

The walk to the laundromat was a good fifteen minute walk. It always took a bit longer when she had the laundry in a bag around her shoulder, but she finally made it. She took a deep breath, when she opened the door to the laundromat. She was hoping to have it all to herself, just her and the two loads of laundry, but there was a man. A man with longish black hair was sitting down in a chair, head down with a machine spinning right in front of him. She took a deep breath and nodded, as she walked to the machines, and dropping her bag a few chairs down from him. The sound of her entering, didn't even phase him. He just continued sitting there with his head down. She smiled a little and thought maybe that she would perhaps have the place sort of to herself. If the guy was sleeping than she would just have the place to herself until he left.

She began putting her clothes into one machines and Owen's clothing in another machine. Separating the whites and the colors. She never really understood the whole separating thing until she put a red shirt with her white socks and bam, suddenly she had pink socks. She swore to herself that she would forever separate the colors clothes from the white clothes.

She was about to sit down when she looked back at the man just a few feet away from her. Smiling a little as she noticed he was dressed pretty bad-ass. She always wished Owen would dress a bit less conservative but she loved the guy and if he decided to wear sweater vests and things like that she wouldn't complain. She didn't realize that she was staring when he stirred. She swallowed and jumped back a little.

"Oh my god!" She let out as he lifted his head

He looked at her, her exclamation catching him off guard. "Are you okay?" He asked

"Yeah, I think so. You just caught me off guard is all" She said her hand at her heart.

Mitchell looked at the young and beautiful woman in front of him. He tried desperately to hide the sound of her beating heart, the smell of her adrenaline was almost killing him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" He said smiling at her just a little. She shook her head and smiled back "Oh, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting you to move. I thought you were sleeping. Sort of thought I had the place to myself and then you moved. Which is silly because if I only thought you were sleeping, I should have expected you to move"

He chuckled a little, she was rambling, and it was sort of cute the way she was doing it. He nodded and took a deep breath, he could hear her heart slowing down as the shock started to wear off. She sat down a few chairs away from him and looked at him.

"I'm Annie." She held out her hand and for a moment he contemplated just getting up and walking out, without introducing himself or putting himself in way of all of this temptation that was looking at him expecting him to shake her hand and giver her his name.

"Mitchell" He said as he took her hand and smiled ever so slightly at her.

"Nice to meet you Mitchell. Do you come here often?" She laughed as her line came out more as a pickup line, she hadn't expected for it to sound like that at all. After all she had Owen, she didn't need anyone else. Even though, he had his anger issues she still loved him. She would always love him. Always.

Mitchell shook his head and shrugged "Just moved to this side of town actually."

Mitchell thought about what lay just half an hour away. His old home. The Funeral home. When Herrick suggested moving to the Funeral Home, Mitchell had chuckled just a little at the cliche of it all. A bunch of vampires moving into a Funeral Home as a front. Coffins all over the place. Now, he avoided that side of town. The Hospital was very close to it, but he still avoided it. He wanted to leave that old life behind him. He and George had finally found a place, and he was leaving that life behind him. Finally quitting the blood. He should have done it ages ago, but he knew the struggle that he would go through. He was going through it all. He had wanted George to go out, go to the laundromat and do their laundry but he and George had fought just a little and Mitchell had ended up going to the laundromat as an apology. According to George, Mitchell wasn't pulling his weight around the house.

Annie laughed a little as she and Mitchell folded clothes side by side on one of the tables in the laundromat. Mitchell had just told her the story of how he and George, his roommate, had met in the Hospital. This George guy sounded a bit clumsy and slightly awkward at times. Mitchell had told her quite a few stories and Annie wanted to meet this George. See where Mitchell lived. There was something about Mitchell that was just, different. Something really fantastic.

She had just opened her mouth to ask him a question when her mobile rang. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry" She reached into her pocket and took out her mobile. Smiling as she saw Owen's name on the caller ID. "Hiya babe" She answered.

Mitchell watched as she was on the phone. She was beautiful. Her heart had began to race suddenly though and Mitchell's hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. He swallowed. Something was wrong. Annie turned to look at Mitchell and then walked to the window. Mitchell tried to look like he wasn't paying attention to her.

"No, Owen. I'm sorry. I…" Annie paused and took a deep breath, she was embarrassing. This was too embarrassing. She was in public. "Owen… listen" She tried to quiet her voice, so that Mitchell wouldn't be able to hear her "I'm sorry Owen. I'm sorry." She paused again and ran a hand through her hair ever so slightly "Okay. I'll be home soon" She hung up the phone and took another deep breath, taking a moment to wipe away the tear on her cheek and turning back to Mitchell. Walking to the table and smiling ever so slightly. "Sorry about that" She said with a forced smile.

Mitchell tried hard to ignore what had just happened right in front of him. He was very old. He knew when a man was being abusive, even over the phone. He cleared his throat and looked at Annie, smiling a soft smile "Everything okay?" He asked quietly, making it known that he had heard her end of the conversation, and that he understood what Owen might be like but also letting her knew he would keep her secret.

Annie looked at him and nodded, quickly looking back at her clothes as she folded the last shirt of Owen's "Yeah. Yeah. Thank you"

Annie picked up the bag of folded clothing and turned to the door "It was nice to meet you Mitchell. Maybe I'll see you here next week? Same time?" She smiled and nodded "Good. Have a good nice Mitchell" She nodded and then walked out of the laundromat.

Mitchell watched her, nodding at the questions she had just asked him. He wasn't going to be here next week. It was too dangerous. He couldn't put her in anymore danger. There was something about Annie though that Mitchell knew was just… special.


	2. Truth

Mitchell looked around him at the Hospital, mop in hand, there was nothing really exciting about this job. On boring days like this he would sometimes drift off and think about things that he had done in his past. More exciting things than just mopping up urine or excrement.

"Hey, Mitchell" George walked up to Mitchell and stopped in front of him, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Hi George. What's wrong?" Mitchell knew that something was wrong with George. He had lived with George for two weeks now and George was getting easier to read as the time continued.

"It's my time of the month remember. I was just wondering if you got my text message about bringing my duffle with you"

Mitchell wrinkled his brow and than gave George a little _What are you talking about_ face. George sighed. "Please tell me you got my text message, or I'm going to have to steal another pair of scrubs and I got in trouble for that last time."

Mitchell laughed and smiled "You worry a lot. Of course I got your text message. You're duffle bag is in my locker. Now relax. You always get a little peaky at this time of month" Mitchell leaned against the top of the mop handle and looked at his friend and flatmate.

George shook his head and sighed "You're a ass, did you know that? And of course I get peaky during this time of month. I've got a monster in me and it is wanting to come alive right now. You don't know what that's like."

Mitchell nodded and stuck the mop back into the water bucket "You're right George, I don't know what it's like to have a monster inside you that only wants to come out one night a month." Mitchell walked away "Have a good night George. See you at the house in the morning"

George watched Mitchell walk away pushing the mop bucket down the hall. George forgot sometimes that his roommate was a vampire. A vampire who was struggling with the need to drink blood. George thought for a moment that he should go and apologize to Mitchell, but he would walk to the store tomorrow and pick up a couple of steaks and a pack of beer to say sorry.

Mitchell closed his locker and ran a hand through his hair, there was hint of blood in the air and he was doing everything in his power to ignore it.

"Hi Lauren." he said with a smile as she walked to her locker a few down from his. "How are you?"

"I am tired. I had to change my shirt three times today. First after someone threw shit at me, then there was someone's sick and now, this…" She showed the very large, very fresh blood stain on the front of her shirt. Mitchell froze and took a deep breath, swallowing. That was where the smell was coming from. He composed himself and forced the smile back onto his face.

"Doesn't look too bad on you. It cold be a new fashion statement" He laughed a little and smirked. Lauren laughed a little and nodded.

"Maybe I'll try that, just not in the mood to draw that much attention to myself today though" She said as she took off her scrubs shirt and threw it into the dirty laundry pile. Looking at him out of the corner of her eye as she had just her long sleeve under shirt on. "Got any special plans for tonight?"

Mitchell shook his head and smiled at her as he zipped up his leather jacket. "Nothing too special. Just going home and feeling lonely. You?"

"Working. A lonely night seems pretty great though" She slipped on another shirt and nodded again "Have a good night Mitchell. See ya." Lauren waved and walked out of the room.

Mitchell ran another hand through his hair and then began to walk out of the room, stopping as the smell of the blood from her shirt stung his nostrils. He looked at the shirt, sitting there at the top of the laundry pile and closed his eyes. Thinking about maybe, reaching in and taking the shirt. He shook his head and stuffed his hands into his leather jacket pockets and almost ran out of the hospital.

Mitchell needed a drink and a cigarette. He needed it badly and he needed it now. Making his way to the pub.

Annie walked into the pub and sat down. It was a quiet little place, dark lighting as pubs usually had and she briefly looked around. Owen had said he would meet her here at 7:30 but he still wasn't here. She ordered herself a glass of white wine and pulled out her mobile, resting it on the table beside her. Maybe Owen would call, or…

"Annie isn't it?"

Annie looked up and there was Mitchell. She smiled a little "Yeah, Mitchell. Hi." Her smile turning into a small grin.

"Can I sit down?" Mitchell asked

She took a moment and then swallowed just a little, looking around to see if Owen had just walked in and was looking for her "Yes. Go ahead" She smiled at him and pointed to the chair across from her.

She watched as Mitchell sat down and ordered himself a pint.

"Are you waiting for someone?" He asked

She nodded "Yeah, my fiancé, Owen. He said he would be here but he's a bit late." Mitchell could tell that she was a bit nervous. Maybe him sitting here across from her was a bad idea. Maybe, her fiancé was even more of an ass than he had originally thought. Mitchell looked around and took a sip of his beer.

Suddenly Annie's heart sped up. Mitchell took another long drink from his pint glass and looked over to where she was starring. There was a man, who had just walked into the pub.

He looked back at Annie.

"I think maybe you should…" Annie started and then smiled as the man approached the table "Owen. Hi" She said with a smile.

Mitchell stood up "Hi. Mitchell. I was just talking to you're wonderful lady here." He picked up his pint glass and gave a small smile towards Annie "Have a good night Annie." Turning back at Owen "It was nice to meet you Owen"

Mitchell walked to the bar and sat down, taking a sip of his beer and looking in the mirror behind the bar so he could see Annie and Owen.

Owen sat down and leaned across the table towards Annie. Taking her hand. Mitchell watched as she smiled at the man across from her at the table. Maybe he had gotten it wrong about owen, Mitchell thought. Then suddenly, Annie was trying to pull her hand from Owen. Not roughly, but just subtly as to not bring attention to herself or to what Owen was doing.

"Come on Annie. Let's go home." Mitchell heard Owen say in a rough voice as Annie and he stood up. Owen grabbed a fiver out of his pocket and threw it on the table. Still holding onto Annie's wrist. Mitchell turned around just in time to see Annie. She locked eyes with him and then turned to look at Owen. Mitchell swallowed as they disappeared into the night.

Mitchell couldn't handle just leaving it like that. Taking a fiver out of his pocket he gave it to the bartender and ran out of the pub. Following closely, and in the shadows, to Owen and Annie.

"What were you doing with him?" Owen said as he continued to drag Annie down the block

"Nothing. He had just sat down." Annie replied in a calm voice. Trying to calm Owen down. Mitchell had seen this technique before, and he had seen it fail.

"It didn't look like nothing, you stupid bitch." Owen said as they had reached the car. Mitchell watched as Owen pushed Annie against the passenger side door. He almost ran out to take her safely away from Owen. She looked up and they again, locked eyes. She bit her lip and turned as Owen got into the car. She shook her head so that Mitchell saw and she too got in the car. Mitchell watched the car disappear into the darkness. He closed his eyes and swallowed.

He needed to help her.


End file.
